TV Recap: “Paradise” – Episode 5 “In the Palaces of Crowned Kings”
Kane Bradford (Gerald McRaney) starts the episode by talking about a dark dream that he had showing the oceans having reached the top of the Washington Monument, and the world a desolate place. It’s 1997, and Cal Bradford (James Marsden) sits in the car heading home. Cal sees his dad, and they warmly embrace. While his dad admires the success of Tiger Woods and comments on what a great job Tiger’s dad must have done, Cal mentions that it is possible that Tiger might have had some natural talent too. (Oh, there’s underlying tension between father and son.)
They exchange work details and when Cal tells his dad that he is leaving the oil business to teach high school, Kane responds with a resounding no, and that will happen over his dead corroded body. His dad proceeds to tell him even though he is a terrible oil man, he will go into politics, where the family name alone would get a horse with a speech impediment elected. (The best line of the series, and it could only be delivered by Gerald McRaney.)
Cal tries to stand his ground against his dad, but Kane states that he was meant for more than teaching Catcher in the Rye to a group of ninth graders year after year. (McRaney is pitch perfect in his delivery and will make you howl with laughter.) His dad states that he comes from a long line of men who have shaped the world and made accomplishments, and it will happen for Cal too even if he needs to drag him kicking and screaming to those accomplishments. In the present day, deep in the hangar of the cave, Jeremy Bradford (Charles Evans) sits at his father’s desk on Air Force One drinking.
Xavier Collins (Sterling K. Brown) gets dressed and texts Billy to meet him at Bradford’s funeral. When Xavier asks Presley (Aliyah Mastin) where James (Percy Daggs IV) is, he learns his son is next door at Carl’s (Richard Robichaux) house. Xavier calls his son back and sits down with his neighbor explaining to him that he needs to be careful because the no pet’s rule is very clear. (Carl has a dog. He should not be taking it outside.) Carl thanks him for the friendly advice.
At the church, we watch as the logistics coordinator asks for cloud cover in the weather before the service begins. Jeremy gives a eulogy that tells a little bit too much truth about Cal unraveling the last few days of his life.
A flashback to Bradford’s mansion, we see Cal trying to connect with Jeremy for a movie night, and his son retorts with righteous teenage indignation. Before the father and son really argue, a noise at the front door has Pace (Jon Beavers) stopping Kane, who has dementia, and had gotten out of the guest house.
Jeremy takes his grandpa into the study and while he can’t remember who his grandson is, the mean-spirited awfulness of Kane’s personality comes out, insulting the strength of Jeremy’s name. When Cal comes in, we learn that Jeremy got his name thanks to the band ‘Green Day’. Dad refers to Pace as Sniper, and when Cal tries to lecture his dad, his dad states that Cal was never the sharpest tool in the shed and alludes to how the four explorers who left the cave were murdered.
When Cal asks Jeremy what he did to deserve his wrath, his son explains that he knew about the incoming tragedy, he sat back and did nothing, and he is complicit in the deaths of others. Before leaving Jeremy tells his dad that he wished he had died with the rest of the world. (Ouch, those are words that Jeremy has already lived to regret. One should never wish for the death of a loved one. Also, what an awful last day that Cal Bradford had)
After the funeral, Xavier asks Jane (Nicole Bloom) if she has heard from Billy, and she tells him no. In fact, Jane says she has been trying to get ahold of him and had no luck. (Jane you are a stone-cold killer. Beware Xavier.)
When Xavier and Jane attempt to leave to find Billy, he is stopped by Robinson (Krys Marshall), who wants to have a quick word about Cal. Jane leaves, and Robinson tells Collins that the DNA samples from the crime scene never arrived at the lab. Robinson then hints to Collins that Sinatra (Julianne Nicholson) is the only one with the power to make that happen. She tells Collins that she’s big enough to admit that Xavier had a point, and Robinson adds that her circle of trust only extends to her and Collins. Xavier says that because she was sleeping with the murder victim his circle of trust is going to stay put.
Robinson flashes back to a morning in bed with Bradford, where we learn that when Sinatra recruited his dad first in the construction of the cave. Cal then asks Robinson if she voted for him, and she tells him no. Robinson explains that she felt that Cal came off like the spoiled moron son of a billionaire. She then tells him that he has shouldered an unbelievable burden, and that he could make whatever he wants of his presidency. Cal then asks Robinson if his dad has a nickname for her to which she says no. Robinson also talks about how much she misses guns, and then Cal says aloud to her if she really thought people as powerful as the ones in the cave are defenseless. When she follows up, Cal ignores her and leaves.
Jane and Xavier go to Billy’s house. When Xavier kicks down the door, they find Pace dead on the floor. Jane goes into hysterics over Pace’s death. (Yeah right, psycho killer.) Xavier calls in and reports that Pace is dead. As Pace is wheeled out of the house, Jane is spreading her story about being with Billy the night before, and how he seemed a little off, but she didn’t understand why he was dead.
Back in time, Cal wonders why his dad would call Pace sniper, and what he meant by saying lost at sea. Removing the government tablet from his safe, Cal starts searching through the multitude of documents and focuses on the surface expedition that he sent out. However, Cal can’t access the documents, even though he is the President.
Going to his sleeping father, Cal uses his dad’s hand for the scanner and gains access to the files he wants. Cal watches a broadcast from the surface team and then hears a message from the team describing how they met other people who are alive. The team wants to bring the person they found back to the cave, and Cal listens as Sinatra tells them no, they are to stay where they are. When Cal clicks on a recording of Pace describing how he found the group and that they are bringing a survivor with them, Sinatra tells him to do what they discussed. (Now we understand why Bradford told Gabriela that Billy Pace was a dangerous man.) Then Bradford hears Sinatra order Pace to take them out. The President is aghast at what he has heard. Compiling all the information he has heard, Cal heads for the library because he wants to make a mixtape, which he labels for Jeremy.
In Gabriela’s office, Cal wonders if patient doctor confidentiality still exists in the cave. When Dr. Torabi says of course, Cal tells the therapist that if something was to happen to him, that she should look at and he opens his hand and shows the name Billy Pace. (Ah, I see where Gabriela got the idea when she did the same thing for Xavier during his interrogation.) Then Cal proceeds to tell Gabriela that of everyone on his protection detail, Xavier Collins is the only one that he trusts. Cal is rejuvenated. He’s making plans for dinner with Jeremy, exercising, and out of his bathrobe.
While sitting with Sinatra, Cal listens as she talks about how great it is to see him out of his bathrobe. Cal gets to the point. He tells her that he accessed the files about the expedition and knows what she did. Sinatra said that a decision had to be made, and she made it. Cal tells her that people have a right to know that people survived, that their families could be alive. Cal then says he is going to tell everyone about the surface. Sinatra tells him no, and Cal loses his cool and reminds her that he is the President, and no one can tell him what to do.
Xavier sits at the bar alone when Robinson joins him. She tells him that Pace took a dose of fentanyl that was too big to be recreational. The coroner is ruling it a suicide. Xavier explains that Billy was warning him about Sinatra. First Cal is dead, and now Billy. Xavier describes how Billy was like a little brother to him, and Robinson admits that she was in love with Cal. Robinson wants to know if they are just going to drink their feelings or if they are going to take down Sinatra. Without weapons, Xavier states it would be very difficult to take down Sinatra. Robinson tells him there are weapons, and she knows how to get them.
Jeremy Bradford sits alone in his house drinking, when Presley comes in to join him. They are sitting in Cal’s golf room that has a simulator for practicing your shot. Jeremy talks about how for the last few days all that Cal wanted to do with him was shoot some golf balls. (The duality of seeing Jeremy talk about how awful he was to his dad, and then seeing the flashback to Cal getting the text from his son blowing off dinner is a perfect choice to emphasize the mood and emotion of the scene.) Jeremy turns on the golf simulator and the bright tropical image is the backdrop to their kiss which is interrupted by Kane Bradford.
Wondering what they are doing in the room, Kane becomes agitated and grabs onto Presley’s arm, stating he knows her. Flashing back to the past, Cal is upset about Jeremy missing dinner and texts Robinson to come over. She does and then promptly gives him back the earrings he gave her, stating she doesn’t want any more of his trinkets. When Robinson tries to leave, Cal tells her that he was going to take her shooting, that there is a cache of guns in the subbasement of the arena.
Cal then tells Robinson that he loves her, and in three months he will be done as President, and they can go public because he will get a divorce, and they can be a couple. She tells him to call her when he’s sober and leaves. (Poor Cal Bradford. Everyone is awful to him.)
Finding his father Kane reading aloud some poetry, Cal listens as his dad describes how he can only read poetry now because thanks to dementia that is the only thing that will stick in his brain long enough. Kane goes on to explain how his wife, an English teacher, (Ah, that’s why Cal wanted to quit the family business. He didn’t want to be like his dad, he wanted to be like his mom.) told him about the poem “Darkness" by Byron. Wondering what his mother would think of all they have and what is happening in the cave, Kane tells his son that she would be grateful that her son was alive.
Kane goes on to explain that he helped build the cave so that humanity could survive, but more importantly, so that Cal and Jeremy could live, and he built it for his wife, though she would not benefit from the safety of the cave. (That was a brilliant delivery by McRaney and an important lesson about casting the right actor. He was magnificent.)
Cal tells his father that he might be in a bit of danger, and he has a question for his dear old dad. Cal states that he has done everything he could for his father. He allowed his dad to use his life as a chess game, and Cal has consistently delivered. Cal wants to know if he ever made his dad proud. (Oh boy, this is an emotional moment. Marsden is equal to challenge and master’s the worried saddened son performance with perfection.) Kane responds that Cal never did anything that Kane didn’t do for him. (This might be the worst moment of anyone’s life, and Cal Bradford gets murdered. This moment with his dad is simply devastating, and you can see the hurt in Cal’s eyes thanks to Marsden.)
Back in his room, Cal cleans up and prepares for bed. (He doesn’t have much longer to live. Every moment of this last day is filled with anguish and gut punches to a guy who is trying to do his best. It’s capped off with his death, and in a way, I wonder if it was a relief to Cal.) On a cigarette Cal writes a numerical code and leaves it in his cigarette pack. Cal is preparing for death that he knows is coming.
Xavier walks home and finds Presley at the front door. He tells her that Billy has died, and he needs her help. Xavier tells his daughter to go inside the house and pack a bag with a change of clothes, and books, because he must do something, and he pleads with his daughter for help. Xavier knows it is a lot to ask of his daughter, but Presley tells him it is okay. Knocking on Carl’s door, Xavier states that he is going to ask for that favor, and that it’s going to be more than a sourdough starter.
Jeremy confronts Kane and wonders why he had to act that way to Presley. Kane doesn’t know who he is talking about. Fed up and trying to walk out, Jeremy is stopped by Kane, when his grandfather, who thinks Jeremy is Cal, tells him that he was right the other night. Kane describes how he is not proud of anything that he did, but that he is so very proud of Cal and that he is so very sorry. (Oh, if only Cal was there to hear this parental validation.) Jeremy plays along and tells his grandfather that he is sorry too.
As Presley lifts her mattress looking at something hidden in the darkness, Kane Bradford finishes reading his poem, and realizes that he saw her there that night. (Does he mean Presley?) Back in her room, Presley removes the presidential tablet that is missing. (She stole the tablet? Did she kill the President?)
Xavier stares at the streetlight, knowing there is a camera watching him. From the streetlight camera, Sinatra stares back at the secret service agent. Something illuminates in the evening sky, and while everyone including Sinatra is drawn to what is happening, Carl makes his way out of the control room. (Nice work Carl.)
Lit up in the dome ceiling is ‘They’re Lying To You’. (What a way to declare your intentions of battle Xavier.)
Review:
This is only episode 5, and there is so much backstory and detail that we need about Cal Bradford, and thankfully this means that James Marsden gets to be in almost the entire episode. We knew Billy had died, and we knew that this was the episode they found him, but ‘In the Palaces of Crowned Kings’ is an excellent single episode that establishes the mood and feelings of the murder victim.
We see the early life with his dad, and then the despondency of everything going wrong on the day he died, to learning about how deranged Sinatra is, and losing the woman he loves. The audience gets to live the life of Cal Bradford, and thankfully, James Marsden makes this guy a likeable character that makes the viewers want to find his killer.
The chef’s kiss ending with Xavier having Carl type the message into the sky is an epic first shot of the upcoming battle with Sinatra.
MVP of the episode goes to Carl. The unassuming pet-loving neighbor makes a brilliant move by doing Xavier’s favor.
The ‘I Don’t Want to Turn My Back on You’ Award goes to Gabriela Torabi. I think she is the murderer. Someone who calls themselves the architect of social well-being is someone who would have a lot to lose if the cave emptied of residents.